by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

Miami will be without the services of its biggest big man, Reggie Johnson, when it takes on Marquette in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

"Reggie Johnson did not travel to the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., with the men's basketball team after sustaining a lower extremity injury against Illinois," Miami spokeswoman Amy Woodruff said in a release. "His timetable for returning to the court is uncertain."

In 26 games played this season, Johnson averages 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He also eats up 21.3 minutes per game, usually coming off the bench.

The 6-10, 292-pound senior will be a huge loss for the Hurricanes. When Johnson suffered a thumb injury at a holiday tournament back in December that forced him to miss a month of the season, Miami dropped two games without him.

The Hurricanes have lost just six games all season.

"We're all just going to have to step up," sixth-year senior forward Julian Gamble told the Miami Herald Tuesday before leaving Miami. "Hopefully we get him back for the Final Four."